Get rid of Insteon and switch to Zwave ? Need help

[MiB]

upstateMike, Ken

Thanks for your thoughts. I had a couple more questions for you and some ideas I wanted to discuss, but it's Friday afternoon where my wife and I both get home early to take care of home stuff. Right now she's waiting for me to finish putting up some outside xmas decorations. I have to climb a 28ft ladder in the snow to get a giant wreath up on the 2nd floor of the house....but at least it lights up automagicly ! ho ho ho

be back soon....and not in a body cast I hope.

I took advantage of the 68 degree thanksgiving day weather.. got all my lights up then.. well the up high ones.....

YAY!!!!

This was my plan too. But instead my *outlaws* came visiting so I got nothing done that day.

 

[upstatemike]

While pondering whether I should try out the idea of integrating both insteon and Zwave, got me thinking how would you program a scene onto one of the Insteon Keypadlinc buttons if part of that scene included some Zwave switches ?

Does this mean you have ruled out UPB? I was just looking at the PW513 on this page and thinking that if it had been available when I was making a lighting decision then I would definitely have gone with UPB. You just replace the TW513 on whatever X10 controller you are using now with the PW513 and you are instantly UPB enabled.

Hey that's great info ! Thanks upstateMike.
No I definitely haven't ruled any HA tech out.
I'm still reading up/learning on UPB. How sensitive is UPB to line noise ? Do you still need to mess with line filters ?

Hmmm I don't use/have a TW513, so would the PW513 replace my CM11a and serve to send out both X10 and UPB commands from the HA server ?

No, it will not replace a CM11a. If you are running an HA server that supports UPB directly you would just use a UPB PIM (in addition to your CM11a for X-10). What this gizmo does is let you convert any existing X-10 hardware that currently communicates through a TW513 (Stargate, Elk M1, or whatever) to UPB even if the device does not support UPB directly. This makes the transition to UPB from X-10 very easy and also lets you use cool gadgets that have been created for X-10 over the years in a UPB environment.

 

[MiB]

No, it will not replace a CM11a. If you are running an HA server that supports UPB directly you would just use a UPB PIM (in addition to your CM11a for X-10). What this gizmo does is let you convert any existing X-10 hardware that currently communicates through a TW513 (Stargate, Elk M1, or whatever) to UPB even if the device does not support UPB directly. This makes the transition to UPB from X-10 very easy and also lets you use cool gadgets that have been created for X-10 over the years in a UPB environment.

ahh ok got it. thanks Mike.

 

[MiB]

What software do you guys use just for setting up/maintaining Insteon links to the PLM and assigning X10 addresses ?
It's a pain using the tap tap setup method especially since the PLM is in a basement wiring closet.

I'm evaluating both HS and mControl for the actual HA on the server, just need a program for initially setting up linking between the PLM and Insteon switches as well as assigning some X10 addresses.

Powerhome doesn't seem to support the serial PLM.

 

[Digger]

What software do you guys use just for setting up/maintaining Insteon links to the PLM and assigning X10 addresses ?
It's a pain using the tap tap setup method especially since the PLM is in a basement wiring closet.

I'm evaluating both HS and mControl for the actual HA on the server, just need a program for initially setting up linking between the PLM and Insteon switches as well as assigning some X10 addresses.

Powerhome doesn't seem to support the serial PLM.

You might want to look at the ISY from UDI. Great product and great support! I think Mike B is the resident expert (I am being serious he really knows it).

 

[MiB]

You might want to look at the ISY from UDI. Great product and great support! I think Mike B is the resident expert (I am being serious he really knows it).

Thanks Digger, not really looking to buy yet another hardware solution. I already have an HA server running 24/7. Just looking for software to setup the initial links.

 

[WayneW]

Powerhome doesn't seem to support the serial PLM.

I don't know what Dave's plans are for supporting the PLM, but PowerHome and a PLC work fine for me.

 

[Digger]

You might want to look at the ISY from UDI. Great product and great support! I think Mike B is the resident expert (I am being serious he really knows it).

Thanks Digger, not really looking to buy yet another hardware solution. I already have an HA server running 24/7. Just looking for software to setup the initial links.

Initial links Houselinc works....... but..... .Powerhome is a thousand times better in my opinion. It is also a well supported product with a very resaonable price point last I checked. Would it be worth getting a PLC just to set up your links?

 

[keepersg]

You might want to look at the ISY from UDI. Great product and great support! I think Mike B is the resident expert (I am being serious he really knows it).

Thanks Digger, not really looking to buy yet another hardware solution. I already have an HA server running 24/7. Just looking for software to setup the initial links.

Initial links Houselinc works....... but..... .Powerhome is a thousand times better in my opinion. It is also a well supported product with a very resaonable price point last I checked. Would it be worth getting a PLC just to set up your links?

Powerhome is definitely the way to go if you're running a server 24/7 The price for it and a PLC is way under what you'd pay for ISY-26. Dave offers a month free trial on Powerhome so you can try it out for free.

 

[MikeB]

Powerhome doesn't seem to support the serial PLM.

I would recommend PowerHome if you don't want to go with an ISY-26 for whatever reason, but like other's have said Dave hasn't released a PLM version yet. He has said that he plans on adding support for the PLM in the past, but I'm not sure how soon.

Even though I'm a PowerHome owner, I haven't watched their message board much in a while since I don't use my PLC for much. I'm pretty much 100% ISY-26.

If HomeSeer doesn't offer a better linking method yet, I think your only option will be tap-tap method.

Definitely drop Dave an email about PowerHome, though - for all I know it could be released next week!

 

[Digger]

SO MIB.... would you give Insteon a try? The problems you reported have all been corrected from what I can tell and you may have just gotten old stock by accident. I ordered the same time as you and got some old stock of a few things as well. With the sale they may have been scraping the bottom of the barrel

Trevor over at SH (or SL) offered to swap the devices if you want. I bet they might even throw in the shipping.

If you dont.... I would consider UPB as it seems more stable (it like everything else has issues but not as bad it would seem) or Zwave.

 

[HighTest]

If one could upgrade the Insteon firmware themselves, it may make sense to try Insteon and keep waiting for SH to get it right.

Without that feature, and reading reports that some are still encountering problems even after the paddle fix/resistor fix that has supposedly occured. Granted, those may have been old stock and the purchasers didn't get the new fixed stuff. PLM and PLC methods are not totally solid, etc could also be old stock. Would be nice if SH made sure that every single article shipped has the latest firmware and/or hardware revision fixes regardless of if it was from the "bottom of the barrel".

Suggesting Insteon to someone that is seriously considering replacing their problematic Insteon reminds me of the old addage...

Insanity = doing something over and over again and expecting different results.

 

[Digger]

If one could upgrade the Insteon firmware themselves, it may make sense to try Insteon and keep waiting for SH to get it right.

Without that feature, and reading reports that some are still encountering problems even after the paddle fix/resistor fix that has supposedly occured. Granted, those may have been old stock and the purchasers didn't get the new fixed stuff. PLM and PLC methods are not totally solid, etc could also be old stock. Would be nice if SH made sure that every single article shipped has the latest firmware and/or hardware revision fixes regardless of if it was from the "bottom of the barrel".

Suggesting Insteon to someone that is seriously considering replacing their problematic Insteon reminds me of the old addage...

Insanity = doing something over and over again and expecting different results.

OK guilty as charged............. LOL

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

One of my favorite sayings is "Never loose the same way twice"!!

 

[upstatemike]

If one could upgrade the Insteon firmware themselves, it may make sense to try Insteon and keep waiting for SH to get it right.

I agree 1000%. In fact I feel that any firmware based product that is produced in the 21st century should be field upgradeable. Anything less is a crime with consumers as the victims!